Christmas Yule Log

A yule log was a very hard & large log that was traditionally burnt in the hearth as part of the Christmas celebrations. Nowadays it has become a chocolate cake shaped as a log for the same celebrations. Traditionally for Christmas you have either a fruit filled cake which has been lovingly fed with booze for several weeks (which I love but know that many friends & family don’t) or the Yule Log; a delicious rich chocolate cake which doesn’t have to be fed or made months in advance, & let’s face it, who doesn’t like chocolate cake!

Serves 10

Prep time: 2

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

6 egg (separated)

150g caster sugar

50g cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

For the icing

175g dark chocolate

200g icing sugar

225g softened unsalted butter

1 tbsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 180c/gas 4. Line & grease a Swiss roll tin.

In a large, clean bowl whisk the egg whites until thick. Whilst still whisking add about 50g of caster sugar. Continue whisking till it holds the peaks.

In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks & the remaining caster sugar until the mixture is pale & thick. Add the vanilla extract into the yolk mix, sieve in the cocoa powder, & carefully fold in.

Spoon in a little of the whites into the yolk mix, this loosens the mix to make it easier to fold in the rest. Carefully fold in the remaining whites in three batches.

Pour the mix into the lined tin & bake for 20 mins.

When out of the oven leave to cool in the tin for about 15 minutes. Once cooled, turn out onto another piece of baking paper & peel off the baking paper. Cover with a clean tea towel whilst you make the icing.

To make the icing… melt the chocolate in a heat proof bowl over a pan of simmering water, once melted leave to cool.

To roll and finish the cake…Spread a little of the icing thinly over the sponge, make sure you go right to the edges. Roll up from the long side facing you, trying to get as tight a roll as you can.

Cut one end at an angle of about 45 degrees, this will become the branch off the side of the log. Position this along the side of the cake.

Cover the entire cake with icing using a palette knife. You don’t need to make this too smooth as you want it to look like a log. Then dust with icing sugar to resemble snow or decorate with Christmassy things.

The cake keeps well in an airtight tin for about a week…that is if you can resist it!